Megan Hamilton

Some have described Megan Hamilton as the love child Nick Drake and Gillian Welch never had. This Torontonian’s gentle yet rough voice and acoustic lullaby accompaniment reveal bits of a dark secret and “Everyman” emotions.

Hamilton’s professional music career began when she recorded her 13-track debut album Feudal Ladies Club with sound designer Mark Vogelsang in the Saskatchewan prairies. The album was met with so much acclaim that the duo quickly recorded a six-song follow-up, how we think about light. Both albums were released on the Familiar Music label, which Hamilton shares with fellow Canadian musicians Shelby Lamb, Steve Puchalski, and Gary Peters.

Hamilton’s sound lies in the simplicity of folk and folk-rock, but her songs are also channelled through an experimental tunnel of futuristic sound. Her scratchy vocals lend comfort and rawness to sleepy, wind-swept lullabies on singles such as “My Boy” and “Saint Francis.” The popular single “Detroit” shows off Hamilton’s lighthearted, casual folk-rock style, but I must say that my personal favorite is “Prophecy” off of Feudal Ladies Club. The song’s simple acoustic pattern is reminiscent of Iron and Wine’s guitar sound, yet Hamilton just wails above it like she’s singing the words and meaning it, and not just singing a pretty melody.

Hamilton is undeniably beautiful raw talent. Her songs bring a sense of warm comfort, even when she’s showing you the sparse, cold Saskatchewan prairies through song. Stay on the lookout for Megan Hamilton as she tours Ontario throughout the winter. For a complete list of tour dates, visit her website at www.meganhamiltonmusic.com.